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Cancer
ID# UM0-28
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Technology A Novel Immune Enhancing Peptide, IEP11
Scientific Relevance The invention involves an 11 amino acid peptide (IEP11) which corresponds to a unique region of the secreted form of human mucin protein (sec-mucin).  The 11 amino acid peptide can be used as a vaccine adjuvant to enhance in vivo immune responses, to induce the production of cytokines, as a mitogen of one or more cell subpopulations, or to enhance cellular cytotoxicity.
Commercial Opportunity Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. with over 500 thousand per year.
Competitive Advantage This small protein drug has the potential to be a universal adjuvant for use with or without traditional chemotherapy.  Immunomodulation to help one’s body fight cancer can reduce the need to toxic chemotherapy and increase the survival rate and quality of life.
Inventors Diana Lopez, Lynn Herbert, Mantley Dorsey Jr., Gunter Kraus, & James Hnatyszyn
ID# UMD-21
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Technology Early Detection of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)
Scientific Relevance This invention is a saliva based test (ELISA) incorporating a panel of four biomarkers that can detect early stage HNSCC and very early pre-cancerous lesions.  At this early stage the cancer or pre-cancer is treatable or reversible.  At this point, the complete biomarker panel has 93% sensitivity and 75% specificity.
Commercial Opportunity HNSCC accounted for $3 billion in expenditures in 2004 or 4.4% of all cancer expenditures. 85% of HNSCC occurs in drinkers and smokers.  There are currently 56 million smokers and 15 million alcohol abusers in the U.S and significantly more worldwide.
Competitive Advantage This early detection panel of biomarkers is simple and low cost, detects cancer without visual examination of the patient by a primary care provider or dentist.
Inventors Elizabeth Franzmann, Vinata Lokeshwar, Erika Reategui and Rakesh Sihgal
ID# UMF-12
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Technology Hyaluronidase Inhibitors as Anti-Cancer Agents
Scientific Relevance This invention demonstrates that hyaluronidase (HAase) inhibitors may be used to inhibit tumor cell proliferation and/or progression through the cell cycle.  These inhibitors are being developed to treat cancer or a precancerous condition with special emphasis on solid tumors.  In addition these compounds may be anti-angiogenic and reduce the risk of cancer cell metastases.  These compounds are likely to be effective with little or no side effects.
Commercial Opportunity Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. with over 500 thousand per year.
Competitive Advantage This non-toxic anti-cancer therapeutic can be administered alone or as an adjunct traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy.  This feature allows for reduced use of toxic chemotherapy and an improved quality of life.
Inventors Vinata Lokeshwar
ID# UMF-32
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Technology Method Of Treating Multiple Myeloma By Targeting CD28
Scientific Relevance Targeting CD28 on myeloma cells can be used as a single agent for the treatment of multiple Myeloma. This approach can also be used in combination with other chemotherapy.
Commercial Opportunity Multiple Myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy behind non-Hodgkin' lymphoma, with 15,000 new cases diagnosed each year.  It is currently incurable.  Patients characteristically respond initially to chemotherapy, but then relapse with increasingly more chemoresistant disease.  Thus novel therapies that can bypass the underlying resistance mechanisms are clearly needed.
Competitive Advantage Targeting CD-28 on myeloma cells could be a single agent treatment as opposed to the existing highly toxic treatments available.
Inventors Lee, K and Boise, L.H.
ID# UMF-01
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Technology Immunomodulating Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 25 (TNFR25) Agonists, Antagonists and Immunotoxins
Scientific Revelance The invention uses immunomodulating agents that can both stimulate the immune system or have an immunosuppressive effect.  TNFR25 agonists and antagonists have pro and anti-inflammatory action, respectively.  TNFR25 agonists can support tumor vaccination, while TNFR25 antagonists can treat disease caused by chronic inflammation and autoimmunity (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease).
Commercial Opportunity  Inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease cost between $3-5 billion annually to treat. To have a novel approach to these diseases that would also apply to transplantation autoimmunity is a unique commercial opportunity. 
Competitve Advantage Tumor vaccines that are currently available are often suppressed in the tumor environment.  This approach increases the vaccine’s ability to act on the tumor due to increased stability.   The myriad of biological effects that this immunomodulating agent can achieve is far superior to anything currently in use.
Inventors Vadim Deyev, Robert B. Levy and Eckhard R. Podack
ID# UMF-10
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Technology  Perforin 2 Proteins as a Novel Antibacterial therapy
Scientific Revelance This invention relates to the fields of antibiotics, anti-cancer agents and drug discovery. More specifically, it relates to a compound useful in activating the body’s natural defenses to both infections and tumors.
Commercial Opportunity The incidences of serious bacterial infections are increasing at home and in hospitals due to the development of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, there are certain bacteria such as those causing tuberculosis that are naturally resistant to most antibiotics. For biological reasons alone, there is an urgent need to discover novel antibacterial agents.  Antibiotics, many of which have patents that will expire in the next few years, are currently a multi billion dollar industry.
Competitve Advantage This is a unique antibacterial approach in that it will not lose efficacy due to the development of resistance.
Inventors Vadim Deyev and Eckhard R. Podack
ID# UME-42
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Technology Antibody NKG2D Ligand Fusion Protein For Cancer Therapy
Scientific Revelance Certain anticancer drugs (e.g. Herceptin for breast cancer) act by attaching to specific receptors (HER2/neu) and thereby destroy tumor cells that express the receptor.  However, these drugs have reduced efficacy when the target antigen is inadequately expressed, or if immune function is impaired. One approach to overcome this, is to take advantage of a protein NKG2D-Ligand (NKG2D-L) that is ubiquitously expressed during times of infection and stress.  When NKG2D-L is bound to its specific receptor, there is increased cell killing potential.  Linking anti-tumor antibodies to NKG2D-L proteins increases the ability of immune effector cells to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. This approach could be used for a variety of anti-oncogenic applications.
Commercial Opportunity Adjuvant therapy for cancer is a multi billion dollar industry.  In the near future, as the population ages it is expected that expenditure for this type of drug will increase at a faster rate than any other category of medication.
Competitve Advantage Targeting molecules for cancer therapy allow much lower concentration of the toxic chemotherapeutic agent to be used. The advantage of this approach over non targeted molecules is its stability and the ability to use lower concentration.
Inventors Joseph D. Rosenblatt, Seung-Uon Shin, and Khaled A. Tolba
ID# UMF-31
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Technology Transgenic Mice Expressing A Real-Time Reporter For Cellular Camp In A Tissue-Selective And Inducible Manner
Scientific Revelance Cyclic AMP (cAMP) mediates the response to hormones, neurotransmitters and other molecules in practically every tissue of the body.  The inventors have generated a unique transgenic mouse that is able to express an inducible fluorescent cAMP reporter in targeted cells and tissues.  To achieve this, transgenic mice carrying the newly generated and unique cAMP reporter are mated with mice carrying an appropriate, tissue-specific, antibiotic-sensitive triggering mechanism in their genome.  Mice tailored to a specific tissue can be readily generated. By injecting a commonly available antibiotic, researchers can then induce the synthesis of the cAMP reporter in pre-specified cells.  Using this mouse model, cAMP can be examined in intact organs, tissues and cells both in vitro and in vivo. The transgenic mouse will make it possible to monitor how intracellular cAMP levels change in response to metabolites, transmitters, hormones, and drugs in real time and with high spatial resolution (i.e., single cells and even subcellular regions). 
Commercial Opportunity This mouse is an important drug discovery tool.  Pharmaceutical industry scientists as well as academic researches can use this mouse to monitor responses to existing drugs and develop new ones. Additionally, this mouse could be used to test the effects of treatments affecting the brain, spinal cord, or autonomic nervous system.
Competitve Advantage This only mouse model available that allows responses to drugs, metabolites, transmitters, hormones, pharmaceuticals, etc. to be monitored visually in vivo.   Furthermore, the response can be seen in real time with high spatial resolution.
Inventors Nirupa Chaudhari, and Stephen D. Roper
ID# UMH-01
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Technology Antibody-endostatin fusion protein and its variants.
Scientific Revelance This invention relates to compositions and methods for targeting and modulating the activity of tumor cells.  In particular, the invention relates to chimeric fusion molecules which have a tumor antigen targeting domain and an anti-tumor effector function domain.
Commercial Opportunity The sale of anti angiogenic molecules have reached the $600 million level and it is predicted by Forbes magazine to reach the billion dollar level in the next few years when it becomes applicable to colon, bladder, head and neck and prostate cancer. This approach is a huge improvement over these drugs.
Competitve Advantage As effective as anti angiogenic molecules are they have half life and concentration problems that this technology addresses.
Inventors Sherrie Morrison, Joseph D. Rosenblatt, and Seung-uon Shin
 

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